Since I am a newbie - I've just learned something new hardeners contain isocyanates.

Where isocyanates fall in that risk spectrum does not seem to be well worked out. The safest thing to do is not use hardeners but it will make a difference in curing time, shine, et

I used to work in chemical manufacturing Toluene Di-Isocyanate (TDI). This isocyanate was classed by OSHA as a sensitizer. Just like anacardic acid (in cashew net shell oil and more commonly in poison ivy). You may have a bad reaction from one exposure or after several.

I'm still a bit nervous of using hardeners - escpecailly now that I realize it contains an isocyanate. I understand the time-waited-average as established for all of these chemicals by OSHA is based on 8h per day exposure over 40 years....

In the end I'd like the best possible paint job - That being said I don't want to wait months to use my new tractor and I don't want it to fade 6 months later. I am now more confused than ever. I hope some of you going to the minifest in Valatie - so I can see some results and talk to you in person.

I have had a red and two white hoods painted with IronGuard by pros without hardener, both painters liked the paint. And I am very pleased with the results. I have used quarts with a foam brush and painted Cubs nearly entirely with rattle can IronGuard. It is good stuff and reasonably priced in the scheme of things. I was in a jam for federal yellow once and tried Valspar rattle can paint, if I ever need to paint a curb or garbage can, I still have the rest of the can.

When it comes to painting Cubs with any other paint aside from catalytic's then listen to Larry I have seen Cathy and she is some pretty and the paint job is holding up very very well. Rufus has also held up well - I first saw pics of Rufus way back in '03 or '04. CaseIH Iron Guard is good paint and it sure seems to have done the job for him and for many others.

I like Iron Guard as well and is my preferred rattle can paint for painting small parts as I replace them. Dupont Centari is only used when I am doing a complete project.

I'm a HUGE fan of the Case IH Iron Guard paint. I've used both quarts and spray cans, with little difference. Here are two I painted myself with a top-feed spray gun from Harbor Freight, and Iron Guard in a quart, no hardener, 1965 Lo Boy, and 1966 IH Cub:

The tractor below I just did last summer. I had a friend, retired auto-body guy, who wanted to do the sheet metal for me, so the hood, lights, fenders, batt box, were all painted by him using Iron Guard with hardner. The rest of othe tractor was painted by me with Iron Guard spray cans.

You can see a little difference in the paint with hardner, mostly just in the gloss. However, since they are sheet metal pieces against the cast iron pieces, it looks more like differences in texture than in the paint itself.

Regardless, YES, you can get great results using paint with or without hardner.

As for the Valspar paint, I used it one time to paint a mower deck, and swore that I'd never use it again. It does not cover well, and takes FOREVER to dry. Even the dry finish is soft. My recommendation would be to stay away from it. After all the work of cleaning, degreasing, cleaning, degreasing again, dissassembling, reassembling, sanding, grinding, etc., I'd use the best paint I could afford because the paint is the easy part!

Here's a picture of my 53 Cub painted with Rustoleum thinned with mineral spirits. It waxes up nice and shiney. My experiance with Rustoleum is that it fades in the sun rather quickly, but mine stay under cover when parked and it looks like the day I painted it still.

I do like the seat. Can I have it for my McCormick 100? I will find you a pan seat to swap The Cub looks real nice. And yes, that is the one thing I have found with TremClad/RustOleum - it does fade in the sun. Dad's trailer is still Red, but a faded out red.